Presettable impulse register



Aug. 8, 1950 1.. B. HAIGH ETAL PRESETTABLE IMPULSE REGISTER Filed March 2, 1946 INVENTORS. [e.9'%'e filer 1i BY@%4"?A/Si 2:

ATT

Patented Aug. 8, 1950 YPRE SETTABIJE IMPULSE iREGISTER Leslie .3. .Haigh, West range,.and Franklin A. i Stearn, .lfi/Iestfield, N. Q. .assignors to ,Federal Telephone and Radio orporaticn, New York, N. rye corporation of Delaware rApplication'March 2, 1946, Serial No. 651,667

to occur before a signalling device .or the like actuated.

It is another object ofthe presentinvention to provide means .for pre-settingfor the reception of a predetermined number-of impulses .or the occurrence of a predetermined number of switch closures before it eflects a desiredoperation.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide means for immediate operation of a signalling or other device upon reachinga,

predetermined counting or registering position.

without any operation of electrical or mechanical elements.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide means for a fixed actuatingg position of the impulse register and a variable pre-. determined starting position.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide multiple precautionary means .inorder to guard against premature actuation right up to the moment of the actuating impulse.

It is still an object of the present invention to provide means for indicating that the properly prepared setting of the impulse register has been effected.

With these and other Objects in view the 4 Claims. (Cl. 23

next. An interrupter spring [3 opens contact when'the armature HLis almost fully attracted.

A second, holding .relay l5 which operates .at particularly high speed' has anarmature l 6 which ""isflattra cted to close a contact i! when current present invention will become apparent and double-end wipers 4, 5 andfi which makelcontact. as the rotor .2 rotates, with successive terminals",

I to XI in. three arcs l, 8 and 9,.respectively. An

electromagnet armature H) is attracted when.

current flows through the coil H and engages the next tooth of the ratchet wheel (3. When current ceases, the armature l0 releases under the influence of a restoring spring !2 and advances the rotor 2 by one. step, causingthe wipers, 4, 5 and 6 to move from one arc terminal to the flows through thecoil .lllpf the relay I5. A conventional tap switch .l9 is equipped with ,a contact arm 2B which may beset manually u on any desired one of a number of contacts Ito XIdisposed in an arc 2!. A battery 22 hauingapositive pole 23 and a negative pole.24, provides power to energize the coil H, as well as the coil L8, to actuate or energize the electric device which ,is inserted into the circuit, and also to light "'signallamps, said device and ,the purposemof the signal lamps to be described later.

Theselector switch,.the tap switch l9, the.hold- ,ing relay l5, one .of thementioned lamps and the battery 22 ,are preferably housed in one .container which should be preferably as compact and light in weight as possible. Accordingly, .the selector switch is preferably designed to operate fromfa battery of ,two. primary cells. The hold-. ,ing relay [5 is of aknowntype of highspeed operating relays and is exceptionally rapid in peration for a purpose tobe. explained later.

The impulselregister can be arranged for open ation by any momentarily actuated switch ,wherea contact is closed for only a veryshort interval. ,fIo this end two terminalspreferably in the form. of pin jacks 25 and.2.6 areprovided .to which line wires leading to a switch contact 21 .may be connected by means of pinplugs 28.and 29.

The impulse register is also designed to be connected .to and at .the proper time to actuate a signalling device 3llwhich is ,protectedagainst premature actuation .at all..times. The .device .31) is acoordingly mounted in a separate adapter unit. arranged for connection to the impulse register through ,a plug and jack connection. For example, the register isprovided .withaplug 3! having conventional tip and sleeve contacts 32 and 33, respectively, andthe adapter unit carrythe signalling device 3!] is provi'ded Witha jack Bikhaving a tip spring 35,, a sleeve 36 and an auxiliary break spring 31 normally in electrical contact with the tip spring. The adapter unit is wired, as shown in the circuit .diagramin the drawing in such .a way that the device 30 1s short circuited and .thus protected against premature, operation until such time .as ,jack .34 is engaged withplug ill andthe contact betweenthe springs "36 and W s p A dummy. .unittfl, of a construction .similar .to th O h adapter unit carrying the device 36,

is also provided and comprises an alarm lamp 39 and a jack 4!), having a tip spring 4| and a sleeve 42. The jack to can be engaged with plug 3| of the register in place of jack 34 of the signalling device adapter unit when it is desired to preset the operating condition of the register, as will be described later. When the jack 4!! is so engaged with the plug 3|, a projection 38' on the dummy unit 38, which has no counterpart on the signalling device adapter unit, engages mechanically with a stud 43 of a spring switch 44, closing contacts 4545' and 46-48 for a purpose which will be explained later.

The impulse register is further designed to cause the operation of the device 3!! as a direct and immediate result of the closure of the switch contact 21 and to count, and render ineffective to cause actuation, a predetermined number of prior closures, which may be any number preferably between and 10, determined by a presetting of the position of the, wiper 5 in conjunction with a setting of the arm 20 of the tap switch I9. The circuit diagram shows the wiper 5 contacting, by example, terminal I of arc 8, in which condition the register is preset to count, and render inefiective to cause energization of device 30, nine closures of the switch contact 21, and to cause energization at the tenth closure of the latter, when the plugs 28 and 29 are engaged with the jacks 25 and 26, respectively, and plug 3| with jack 34.

The operation of the circuit to perform these functions takes place in the following manner:

At the first closure of the switch contact 21, a circuit is closed via the coil I8 of the holding relay I5 and via coil II of the stepping mechanism, which may be traced from the positive pole 23 of the battery 22, wire coils H and I8 in parallel arrangement, terminal I of the are 8, wiper 5, jack 25, plug 28, switch contact 21, plug 29, jack 26 to the negative pole 24 of the battery 22. The holding relay I5 attracts its armature I6 and closes a locking circuit for its coil I8 and another circuit for coil II, which circuit is independent of the circuit through the switch contact 21, namely from the positive pole 23 of the battery 22, via coils II and I8 again in parallelarrangement, to the contact I1, armature IE, interrupter spring I 3, contact I 4, back to the negative pole 24 of the battery 22.

The holding relay I5 is preferably designed to operate within a time of the order of one millisecond after closure of a current path through its coil in order to guarantee its operation in response to a closure of the switch contact 21 of very short duration. The. stepping mechanism I may, on the other hand. be of the type in which a delay of the order of 20 milliseconds occurs between the closure of a current path through its coil II and the attraction of its armature Ill, inasmuch as current is maintained through the coil I I by means of the holding relay I 5, even though contact 21. may have opened again.

However, when the armature III of the stepping mechanism I has been attracted, the interrupter spring I2 opens the contact I4, and if contact 2! is at this moment open or when it opens, current ceases in the coils II and I8 and the armatures I!) and I6, respectively, are released. The return movement of the armature In due to the spring [2 advances the ratchet wheel 3 and the wipers 4, 5 and 6, which are ganged with the ratchet wheel 3, move to respective terminals II of the arcs I, 8 and 9, respectively.

As the result of a second and sub1l111t Q 9- mentary closure of contact 21 the above described operations are repeated and the respective wipers 4, 5 and 6 moved accordingly to the terminals III of the respective arcs I, 8 and 5 and to the subsequent terminals until, as the result of a ninth closure, the wipers move to the terminals X.

During these operations, not only has no intended path been closed through the device 3!), but the device has been short-circuited and so protected against premature actuation by transient or stray induced current, in a circuit which may be traced from the device 30, wire sleeve 36, sleeve contact 32, successive terminals I thru IX of the are I or terminal XI of the are I, wiper 4, tip contact 33, tip spring 35, spring 37, to the device 3B. To render the short circuit continuously effective even during the movement of the wiper 4, the latter is preferably of the bridging type which when moving from one terminal to the next makes contact with the second terminal before breaking contact with the first.

When the wipers 4, 5 and 6 are standing on the terminals X of the arcs I, 8 and 9, respectively, the operating circuit for the coils II and I8 is open at the wiper 5 and the short circuit around the device 39 is open at the wiper 4. The impulse register is now in the operating condition and the next closure of the switch contact 21 will cause actuation of the device 39. When the switch contact 21 closes for the tenth time, a current path is closed through the device 33 from the positive pole 23 of the battery 22, wire tip contact 33, tip spring 35, signalling device 30, sleeve 36, sleeve contact 32, terminal X of the are 8, wiper 5, jack 25, plug 28, switch contact 21, plug 29, jack 26, and back to the negative pole 24 of the battery 22.

Thus, nine successive momentary closures of the switch contact 21 have been counted and rendered ineffective to cause actuation of the device 30, Whereas at the tenth closure the device 30 is immediately energized.

If it is desired that the actuation of the device 35 be effective, for example. at the ninth closure of the switch contact 21 instead of at the tenth, as described above, the impulse register is preset in a manner to be described, so that the wipers 4, 5 and 6 are standing on respective terminals II instead of respective terminals I. It will be evident from the foregoing disclosure that from this condition eight suecesive momentary closures of the switch contact 21 will cause the wipers 4, 5 and 6 to advance tothe respective terminals X and during the advancement will not cause actuation of the device 30, whereas at the ninth closure the latter will be immediately actuated. Similarly, if the wipers 4, 5 and 6 are preset to the respective terminals III, IV or X the device will be energized at the eighth, seventh or first closure, respectively, whereas if the wipers 4, 5 and 5 are preset to terminals XI it will require eleven closures before energization occurs.

It is to be noted that the control or energizing circuit within the impulse register, which is prepared for advancing the wiper 5 to a selected terminal, and which extends from the jack 25 via wiper 5 and terminal X, to the sleeve contact 32, is as direct as possible and includes a minimum of contacts, thus assuring a maximum efficacy of the circuit at the moment of energization. In this connection it is important to emfixed control position and a Variable starting position, to which flit .is preset according *to the number a of closures to :be counted.

The impulse register can the preset, :as stated, in such a wayas to-cause actuation'of the device 3|] at the .first closure of the switch .contact .21, at the eleventh closure, :or at any intermediate closure, ,as desired. In order ;.to effect this presetting, thearm ,of the tap "switch 49 is set upon the contact numbered to correspond to the particular closure at which actuation of device 3|] is to occur. The ,jack la of the dummy unit 38 is first engaged-with the plug 32 and the jack 49 isidisengaged from the plug after the glowing of :a signallamp .41, which is insertedrbetween the wiper E .and .the'co-nnecting lead-of .the Jack 26 with the negative pole of the battery-22, has been observed. I he impulse register .is then preset and theoperation of the circuit 2to perform these functions is as dollows:

If ;.it is :assumed, :foraexample, that the actuation is to occur at the tenth closure, the contact arm 20 of the tap switch |9,.is accordingly set on terminal X ofthe arc 2|, as shown in the drawing. If it is further assumed that .the wipers 4, 5 and ii are standing on any terminals of the arcs 1, 8 and 9 except at terminals XI, as soon as the jack of the dummy unit 38 is engaged with the plug 3|, and the contacts '45 and alfi of the spring switch 44 are closed, :as explained above, a-circuit is closed for the -,coil ll 'of "the stepping mechanism I from the ,positive 1pole '23 of the battery 22 via coil contacts 45,-and4fi, interrupter spring l3, contact |4,to:the negative pole 24 of the battery 22. A similar circuit is closed for the coil ll! of the holding relay IE, but the latter has no useful function at this stage. The armature In of the stepping mechanism I becomes attracted and the spring l3 opens a contact l4 and thereby opens the circuit just traced. The armature l0, therefore, releases again and advances the ratchet wheel 3 and the wipers 4, 5 and 6 move to the next adjacent terminals. The spring recloses the contact I4 and the circuit for the coil II. The cycle repeats itself and the wipers advance thereby step-by-step until they are standing on the terminals XI. At this moment, coil II is once more energized in the circuit already traced and the armature I ll is attracted again but this time it remains attracted, since coil H is maintained energized, despite the opening of the contact l4 in a circuit from positive pole 23 of the battery 22, coil H, contact 45, contact arm 20, terminal X of the arc 2|, terminal XI of the are 9, wiper 6, signal lamp 41 back to the negative pole 24 of the battery 22. The current through the lamp 4'! causes it to glow as an indication to the operator that the jack 4!! may be disengaged from plug 3|. When this disengagement is effected, the contacts 45 and 46 are opened and the holding circuit for the coil opens at the contact 45, the armature Ill releases and the wipers 4, 5 and 6 move to the respective terminals I. The impulse register is now preset to cause energization of the device 30 at the tenth closure of the switch contact 21, as already stated and illustrated.

Had the wipers 4, 5 and 6 been standing upon the respective terminals XI at the beginning of the presetting operation, described by way of example, the armature ||l would have become attracted by reason of the energization of the coil II in the circuit, including the contacts 45 and 46, and would have remained attracted due to the immediate presence of another circuit, traced above, including the lamp 41. The armature l0 would have been released and the wipers 4, 5 and 6 wouldlhaveibeenfimovedfitor.terminalsi1=upon=disengagement of Jack 40 from the plug 3|, thus completing :the presetting operation as before.

If it liSf desired :to preset the register for :actuation of the device 230 at, for 7 example, the ninth closure instead of the tenth, the arm 20 is set upon term'inal XIX of :arc 2|, instead of the terminal X. The advanceof the wipers 4, 5 and 5 will then be arrested in the 'terminals I instead of terminals XIby reason of a :circuit for maintainingthe coil ll -energizedwhichmaybe traced fromthe positive pole 23 of the battery ZZ via coil ,-contact 45, contact arm 2U, terminal IX of the arc 2 terminal I of thearc fi, wiper =5, lamp 41, lbZLCk to the negative pole 24 of the battery 22. Upondisengagement of the jack "40 from the plug 3|, the-.wipers l, -5 and 6 move to the respective terminals II and the impulse register will then-be preset .for actuation of device 30 at the "ninth -:closure-of the switch contact 2'|,as already stated and illustrated above. Similarly, if the-contact arm 12.!) issset upon'any other terminal of thearc 2|, it will be evident thatthe impulse register may' be presetfor discharge'at theparticular closure, each corresponds to the number of the terminal.

:In eorder 'to .provide an additional safeguard againstprematureoperation ofthe device 30,-an alarm :lamp "39 is provided'in the dummyunit 38. :If,:at any time, during 'the presetting operation, and for "any reason, spurious voltage .should 'be present between the tip contact -33 and the sleeve contact 32,01 the plug 3|, it is manifested by glowing of the lamp 39. The presetting operation may be repeated as often as it is deemed desirable. The continuity of the lamp 39 can be verified before the desired presetting of the impulse register by setting the arm 20 upon terminal XI engaging jack 40 with plug 3|, awaiting the glowing of the lamp 4'! which will occur when the wiper 6 reaches the terminal X and then closing the contact 21. The lamp 39, if operative, will then glow in a circuit from the positive pole 23 of the battery 22, via tip contact 33, tip spring 4|, lamp 39, sleeve 42, sleeve contact 32, terminal X of the are 8, wiper 5, jack 25, plug 28, contact 2'1, plug 29, jack 26, and back to negative pole 24 of the batter 22.

While we have disclosed the principles of our invention in connection with a single embodiment, it will be understood that this embodimentis given by way of example only and not as limiting the scope of the invention as set forth in the objects and the appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. In an impulse register circuit, a stepping member, a first and a second arc and a rotor having a ratchet wheel and a wiper for each of said arcs, a relay operating said rotor by means of said ratchet wheel, output terminals, the first wiper short circuiting said output terminals up to a predetermined terminal, a first switch connected with the wiper of said second arc and said relay connected with the terminals of said second arc, the "latter being adapted to conduct the pulses from the first switch to the said relay and at a predetermined terminal of the second arc to conduct the first switch connection directly to the said output terminals.

2. In an impulse register circuit, a stepping member comprising a first, a second and a third arc, a plurality of terminals on each of said arcs, a rotor having a ratchet wheel and a wiper for each of said arcs, a relay having a coil operating said rotor by means of said ratchet wheel, output 7 terminals, said first are short circuiting said output-terminals up to a predetermined terminal, a first switch connected with the wiper of said second arc, and said relay coil being connected with said second arc, the latter being adapted to conduct the pulses from said first switch to thesaid relay coil and at a predetermined terminal of the second arc to conduct the first switch connection directly to the said output terminals, a tap switch connected with said third are, a second'switch connected with said third are, said tap switch being adapted to set a predetermined number of impulses to be received by said step ping member untilconnection with the output terminais is achieved;

3. In an impulse register circuit, as set forth in claimZ, means for presetting said tap switch to position said wiper a selected number of steps away from said predetermined terminal, and means to indicate when said wiper is in adesired preset condition.

4. In-an impulse register circuit for energizing a control circuit, a plug, a first jack having contactsprings adapted to be operated upon the insertion of said plug, a second jack connected to said control circuit, a rotary step by step switch having no normal position, first, second and third terminal arcs for said switch, a wiper for each or said arcs, a magnet including contacts for advancing said wipers over said terminals, a relay, an impulse sender, a signal, a manually operable indicating switch, the terminals of said indicating switch being connected to the terminals of -said first are, a first circuit including said signal, said first arc, said indicating switch, said first'jack, said plug, said magnet and said relay for stepping said wipers to the terminal position corresponding to the position of said indicating switch when said plug is inserted in said first jack and for displaying said signal, a second circuit including said second arc, to one terminal of which one conductor of said plug is connected,

said third arc for short circuiting the conductors of said plug in all terminal positions except the one position in which said second arc is connected to one of the conductors of said plug, and said impulse sender, the said control circuit being energized only after said plug is inserted into said second jack and a number of impulses as determined by the position of said indicating switch have been transmitted by said impulse sender.

LESLIE B. HAIGH, FRANKLIN A. STEARN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

